Ricky didnt have a great WCs last year and was decent in Spain and the Euroleague this year but certainly not worth the hype in my opinion. Pretty happy with Patty Mills as our version.

Daniel Joyce?

Patty Mills would be our version of Rubio wouldn't he?

We had our Ricky Rubio in 1984, his name was Andrew Gaze. If it was trendy to recruit from overseas like it is now and Gaze was scoring like he was, I'm guessing he would've gone top 15 in the 85 draft.

Also am I the only one hoping Kyrie Irving has an average year next season? A crap NBA season by an Aussie born player might be exactly what Basketball Australia needs.

Wow, you can use the internet!

i recently met durrell, this kid is talented and focused. doubt he'll be like his brothers. he actualy wants a career in bball

Bit of an insult to Gaze given what he achieved, but I get what you mean in terms of both being junior superstars.

curtley I'm reluctent to view how a young anderew gaze would of gone in the nba. Two things that stand out as major flaws in Gazes game. One his defense is horrific even Gaze will be the first to admit that. The 2nd is he could be beat people of the dribble in australia but in NBA I have my doubts. Aganist the Dream Team in the 1996 Olympics Gaze lit the dream team up in the first half completely carved them up. Lenny Wilkins put Reggie Miller on gaze in the 2nd half and rarely left Gaze on help defense and Gaze was completly locked up in the 2nd half. I Love Gaze and he is a wonderful basketballer but his game is suited to the international game where it's about teamwork and zone defenses. In the NBA it's more of a game styled to isolations and one on one defense which I just don't think is tailored to Gazes strengths.

Espn is reporting Rubio has committed to Minnesota. This pick might make or break David Kahn. Johnny Flynn hasnt exactly set the world alight with his play. They must be reasonbly confindent that the lockout won't cancel out the season for Rubio to commit to a buyout which is worth 1.6 million, Minnosota can only contribute $500, 000. It will be intresting to see how rubio goes there is alot exspectations on this young man.

I never said he would have become a great player but if a 6 ft 7 second or third year player averaged 38 pts in the NBL he would go top 15 in the draft.

I don't know about top 15 I think scouts would of been scared off by Gaze lack of defense and lack of quickness. Remember Nathan JAwai average 17 and 9 rebounds in the NBL and was drafted in the 2nd round. There have been Europeans who average less then that and have been a top 10 draft pick. Playing time and the standard of the league is definitly weighed in the consideration. However I will definitely acknowlede that when Gaze played the game in his era where internationals players were not highly sought out by NBA scouts. If a young Gaze had been playing in todays league he certainly would of had a better chance of being drafted but because he racked up statistics it does'nt mean he will get drafted high as Anstey stated when he was with Dallas that there were better players then him in the NBL but the NBA also look at if you have the tools to play in the league.

Also, a young Gaze wouldnt get anywhere near 38ppg in today's NBL. Remember he was playing in effectively an amatuer comp back there in a sport very few in Australia played.

But I agree, if someone got 38ppg as a youngster they would definitely get drafted. I also agree that physical tools would play a big part in determining how high.

I have no doubt Gaze could have been a good NBA player, at the very least as a sixth man, had he been drafted young. The physical training he would have received there would have markedly improved his defence. Playing golf and scrimmaging at the Tigers didnt!